“I believe, though I cannot be certain,” Kitty said, “that G stands for Lord Grayson. And, I am sorry to say that I do not believe the gentleman will have any idea that the book is meant in jest.”
“My God,” Lord Penderton said, “where do people send their sons to school these days?”
“I suspect it matters little where gentlemen are sent if they fail to listen when they arrive,” Kitty said.
“Well, I do not like it. You may have the book, we will keep it as a joke between us. But Kitty, my dear, do not encourage this fellow.”
Kitty made to stand and deliver a forceful rebuttal to the very idea, but her father waved her back into her seat.
“I imagine,” Lord Penderton said, “that the fellow is comely or dashing or handsome or whatever young people call it these days. Nobody ever requires much of men like that, it has always been so. But it will not be right for you, Kitty. You need not marry a scholar, in fact I urge you not to. There is benefit in a marriage between persons of differing temperaments. I should have been miserable having married a lady similar to myself. Your mother balances me, as you may have noticed. However,stupidis another matter entirely! Your mother may not share my love of research, but when I discuss it with her she understands me. You see? We are of equal intelligence and of varying interests.”
Kitty nodded, though shedidharbor hopes of marrying a gentleman of precisely similar interests. If only the book had been from Sir John as some entertaining jest!
“In any case,” Lord Penderton said, “you may keep the book and read of how the Reverend Foolish attempts to resurrect Aristotle from the ashes. I expect it will be amusing.”
*
Kitty had flippedthrough the book’s pages and indeed ithadbeen amusing, though she also blushed for Lord Grayson’s empty-headedness. She would have liked to believe that the gentleman understood the volume to be a jest, but she did not have a shred of hope that it was the case. She had not long to consider it, though, as it was Wednesday. Miss Danworth’s at-home day, and that particular home was the current residence of the vaunted Palaskar collection.
The baroness had been surprised to hear that Kitty would call on Miss Danworth. Lady Penderton had become acquainted with the girl the season before and had not singled her out as somebody her daughter would naturally gravitate toward.
In the end, she’d said, “As you wish, Kitty. Miss Danworth is perfectly respectable and perhaps I have misjudged her temperament. There are those persons who strike one as cold who are only shy. In any case, her companion, Mrs. Jellops, will be a scrupulous chaperone. Take Martha in the carriage.” The baroness had paused, then said, “In any event, I do not suppose Lord Childress will be at home.”
Kitty had been relieved that her mother did not choose to accompany her on the call, as she had not said a word about the collection or that Sir John would likely call as well. It was not that either of those things were wrong, it was only that Kitty could imagine her mother’s frown to discover the call was to be about books and not the usual social meeting. As for Sir John, the baroness had said nothing about him, though Kitty was well aware that her mother viewed him as too serious. Perhaps even tedious, though she had not said so.
The carriage had arrived to 42 Grosvenor Square in good time and Kitty had been shown in. The outside of Miss Danworth’s house was as one would expect, large and of pale stone with oversized windows. The inside, though, had an unexpected gloominess to it. There was a heavy feeling, as if there were not enough light or not enough furnishings and carpets to soften the sounds of walking on the marble floors. The frighteningly stern butler did little to warm the coldness of it.
Kitty felt uneasy as she was led through the front hall, having the strange feeling of being watched or unwelcome.
She was very much relieved when she entered the library. It was vast, but carpeted and its endless rows of dark wood shelves warmed it. Its air was one of comfort, though she supposed she would always feel so when surrounded by books.
Miss Danworth rose. “Miss Dell, how good of you to call. I have had tea set up in here rather than the drawing room in anticipation of your arrival.”
“You are very kind, Miss Danworth,” Kitty said.
“Nonsense,” Miss Danworth said. “I do not have so many callers as a regular thing. There are those who…well, my father is a rather stern gentleman.”
Kitty did not know how to answer. She hardly knew what Miss Danworth meant by it. Did she mean that Lord Childress was feared in some manner? Her mother had made some mention of assuming the lord would not be at home but she had not thought anything of it.
“This is Mrs. Jellops, my companion,” Miss Danworth said.
Mrs. Jellops was a round and amiable-looking sort of woman. The kind one imagines indulges in cakes and biscuits on a regular basis and never regrets having two when one would do. Her cheeks were plump to fit her person and she smiled pleasantly at Kitty.
A man walking with a cane entered the room. “Ah, Mr. Crackwilder, this is Miss Dell,” Miss Danworth said. “The lady I mentioned as having an interest in the Palaskar collection.”
As Kitty had noted when she’d seen him at Mrs. Herschel’s, Mr. Crackwilder was not dressed richly, but exceedingly neat. There was not a crease to be found on his person.
He bowed and said, “I was fortunate to be introduced to Miss Dell at Mrs. Herschel’s salon. I was just now going to pull some of the more interesting works for her perusal.
“That is most appreciated, Mr. Crackwilder,” Kitty said warmly.
He smiled kindly at her and went to the shelves. The door opened and the stern-faced butler announced Sir John.
Before Sir John could say anything, a loud knocking could be heard from the front hall. The butler hurried off to let in whoever was doing the banging.
“Mrs. Jellops, this is Sir John Kullehamnd,” Miss Danworth said. “Who else may have arrived, I have not the faintest, though I presume we shall soon see.”
The party looked toward the door with some anticipation. Kitty hoped it might be a scholar come to examine the Palaskar collection.
